Strange world
by Nina Fionnlagh
Summary: Set after FOUNDERS' DAY. What if the one getting to the porch had been the real Elena instead of Katherine?
1. Chapter 1

_The title is for the song Strange World by Parachute, I find it completely Damon/Elena, you should definitely listen to it if you haven't yet. __This first chapter is a retake of the kissing scene in the TV series. The difference is that here it is Elena instead of Katherine and you will find her thoughts, some tiny changes and why she does it. Following chapters will be totally original._

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**Chapter one**

Elena was walking into the porch of Jenna's house when she saw Damon getting out of the door. She frowned wondering what was going on.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Failed and feeble attempt of doing the right thing." He replied and Elena stared at him, not sure of what that meant.

"What's wrong, Damon?" She asked reading between the lines.

"It's not important. I'll take this for you." He took the bags that she was carrying and put them on the chair.

"Thank you." Elena frowned.

"You know I came to this town wanting to destroy it and tonight… I've found myself wanting to protect it." Elena could hear the softness in his voice, the confusion… She was confused after all. "How did that happen?" He asked looking at her and she knew the answer. He had spent a hundred and forty five years not caring about anything and now he had finally found something he did care about and it was a new and strange feeling for him. She opened her mouth to talk but he didn't let her, he continued talking, he probably felt nervous somehow. "I'm not a hero, Elena. I don't do good. It's not in me."

"Maybe it is." She replied wanting to give him confidence, she did believe in him, after what she had seen she knew that he wasn't the bad guy without feelings that he had pretended to be when he had arrived to Mystic Falls.

"No." He grinned. "No, that's reserved for my brother and you and Bonnie. Even though she has a reason to hate me, still… she helped Stefan save me."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Elena crossed her arms on her chest.

"Because she did it for you." He walked closer and she could feel the tension between them almost physically, she knew that it was like an elastic, the closer they were, the more tension there was. And right now she thought of Stefan, who had saved Damon, Stefan who she loved with all her being. But then a question crossed her mind… why was she doing that? "Which means" Damon continued "that somewhere along the way you decided that I was worth saving." He swallowed and she realized that he was speaking true. She cared about him, he was her friend… but was that really all? Elena felt dizzy. Now Damon was close really close to her. "I wanted to… thank you… for that." He approached his face to hers and she told herself that he was just going to thank her, that he was thankful and she should not move away. He kissed her cheek and she closed her eyes feeling like an electric impulse where his lips were touching gently her skin. The only thing she could think about now was that she was dying to feel his touch, when he moved away. Elena felt her heart racing and her breath was noisy. Damon looked into her eyes and moved closer again, cautiously, staring at her to see which her reaction was. She stared into those beautiful lips of his and then his sharply stunning blue eyes.

"Damon…" She whispered when his face was inches away from hers. She wanted to move away, to tell him not to do it, but right now she couldn't find a reason for doing such a thing. His closeness was making her feel dizzy and the only thing she could think about was that she wanted his touch, she wanted those lips… that she wanted him. Damon continued moving closer and she didn't move, she couldn't move. Until suddenly his lips touched hers and closed on her superior lip and this made her loose all the walls she was trying to build, all the strength she had prepared to move away. It was an electrifying feeling, as if her whole body vibrated. He was gentle and moved away only a little bit she found herself kissing him back now, she was the one to close the distance and wanting more. His tongue touched her lips and she granted him access into her mouth grabbing his arm and he put a hand on her face, pulling her closer. She felt her knees tremble but he was there to hold her. And she found herself lost into that kiss, kissing him back with all her will, he was still gentle, but more passionate. She caressed his tongue with hers when suddenly the door opened with a sound making them separate. Damon dropped his face to the opposite side of the door. Elena looked there feeling ashamed and guilty when she saw Jenna's face. Jenna was angry, she could tell that and Elena couldn't look directly at her or say anything. She was still close to Damon, but now they were not touching, they were not even looking at each other.

"It's late." Jenna said. "You should probably come inside." Elena looked at Damon who looked at her.

"I'll be there in a minute." Elena said to Jenna.

"I think you should come now." Jenna replied emphasizing the word now with that angry tone.

"Just a minute." She was still too ashamed to look directly at her but Jenna nodded and closed the door, even if it was obvious that she wasn't really willing to let them out there alone.

Elena thought of the angry look of Jenna's and the thought of Stefan reappeared in her mind making her feel terribly guilty. How could she have done this to him? And just after telling him that he was the one she loved?

"Damon…" she started.

"It's alright, Elena, you don't have to say anything." He made his voice sound unemotional, but she knew that he was hurt or ashamed… he had spent a hundred and forty five years building barriers around him to not let anyone in ever again and for a while, when he had kissed her, he had destroyed these barriers but she could see now that he had built them up again… to not get hurt.

"This is wrong, Damon." She said, knowing that each of her words was hurting them both but she had to say them, to speak them aloud to convince herself and convince him that the kiss couldn't have meant anything… but why did she feel like it did, then? "I'm with Stefan and I love him."

"I know." He pressed his lips together and shook his head, she didn't say anything. "Goodnight Elena." He replied dryly turning around and she would have wanted to call his name, to tell him to stay, not to go that way, to hug him… but what for? That would only make him think that she wasn't sure of what she had just said… and she was… or at least she should be. She wasn't sure anymore about anything. She watched Damon leave and felt the tears come to her eyes. Why did she care so much about him? How could she possibly want to kiss him again when right now she should be thinking of Stefan? But the kiss had been so… perfect. She felt the tears roll down her face when he disappeared in the darkness.

Elena got inside the house wiping her tears with her hand when Jenna got there staring at her.

"What are you doing, Elena?"

"It's not what you think, Jenna."

"It's not me that you should give an explanation to." Jenna replied and Elena knew what she meant. She should talk to Stefan. But she knew that if she told him he would be hurt and would probably hate Damon and she didn't want that to happen. But at the same time she didn't want to lie to him.

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_I know there was a lot of the chapter, but what did you think?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Elena drove to the boarding house hoping to find Stefan there. She didn't want to meet Damon because she didn't know what to say to him, how to act… Everything had been so confusing since that kiss from last night. She had spent the night dreaming about it and feeling guilty. When she got out of the car she hoped that Stefan would be the one to open the door. She wasn't sure of what she was going to tell him or if she was going to tell him at all. She surely didn't want to lie to Stefan but she didn't want the two brothers to fight over her and maybe even one of them to get hurt.

She knocked at the door and Damon opened it. He opened his mouth when he saw her, and there was a moment of tense silence in which it was clear that neither of them knew what they could possibly say. Elena stared at him and Damon pressed his lips together, like he had done last night. Elena swallowed and he moved realizing why she was there.

"Is Stefan home?" She asked and his body got rigid immediately.

"No." He replied unemotionally.

"Damon we have to talk." She said and he made a noise with his tongue as he got to one side of the door so that she could get in.

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked raising an eyebrow closing the door behind them.

"Don't do as if you didn't know."

"What is it?" He sighed, she felt uncomfortable too, she didn't want the words that she had to say to get out of her mouth. But she had to.

"Damon what happened last night was wrong."

"But you liked it." He did his eye flickering and there was mockery and irony in his voice and Elena could tell that he had completely rebuilt his barriers and she felt sad because of that but maybe it was the best, she told herself.

"That's not the point. I…" she shook her head. "I couldn't like it. I'm with Stefan. And I don't want to lie to him… but if we tell him he's going to be hurt and I don't want that. So he can't know about it." Damon smirked but there was no happiness in his face.

"So that's why you came here? You could have saved time by calling." She could tell from his tone of voice that he was hurt.

"I'm serious, Damon."

"Alright. I won't tell him anything, I won't be the one having remorse." He put his hands up and turned around.

"Damon I'm sorry." She got closer to him but he moved away.

"Whatever. I'll tell Stefan you were here." Elena frowned and blinked before leaving the house. Once she was out she sighted and wondered how Damon really felt and what that kiss could have meant to him… but why should she care?

"Elena, it's good to see you." A voice said getting her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find Stefan and she smiled weakly. He kissed her briefly and she tried to find in that kiss the perfection. "You OK?" He asked frowning.

"Yes." She replied trying to get the most convincing of her smiles. "Yes."

"You want to come inside?"

"Actually, I had thought of going somewhere and just have a walk or something." She didn't want to see Damon again, to face him and act normally, she just couldn't.

"Alright, I have to get changed. You come with me?"

"I can wait for you here."

"Is everything alright, Elena?" He asked seriously and she realized that he was noticing that something was wrong. She took his arm and headed the door of his house, she didn't want him to suspect anything. They got in and found Damon with a glass of scotch on one hand. He didn't even look at them when they got in. Elena went with Stefan to his bedroom and once he got changed he kissed her and she felt uncomfortable knowing that Damon could hear them, she didn't know why she felt that way. She moved away and Stefan looked at her confused.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"It's just that I want to have some fresh air. Come on." She grabbed his arm and he followed her downstairs. Damon wasn't there anymore when they left the house.

* * *

The following days Elena tried to avoid as much as she could going to the boarding house, she dated Stefan at the grill or at her house so that she didn't have to see Damon. It was awkward being around him and she couldn't understand why. However one day she went to the boarding house to see Stefan who had not gone to school. No one answered to the door but it was open so she just walked in and heard music upstairs.

"Stefan?" She asked and got no reply. She walked silently upstairs and Damon got out of his bedroom, with an open shirt leaving his bare chest exposed. Elena found herself unable to look away. "Where's Stefan?"

"He had a problem with hunting and asked me to tell you if you came looking for him. He'll be back soon, I suppose."

Elena nodded and turned around to leave but Damon's voice stopped her.

"You've been avoiding me." It was not a question, she turned to face him, his face had an impenetrable mask. "I wonder why. Maybe you're ashamed of what happened; or guilty; or maybe you're afraid I tell Stefan." She remained silent looking at him, there was quite a distance separating them and she felt that it represented how they were really separated and knew that she was the responsible of that gap that had been created between them. "But I told you I wouldn't say anything to him."

"Why not?" Now she wanted to understand.

"Because it would make you unhappy." He replied simply. Elena felt her face tighten and tears coming to her eyes and felt terribly selfish. "You don't have to worry, Elena." He suddenly realized her wet eyes and his face dropped worried. "What's wrong?"

"Why do I do it all wrong?" She sobbed feeling terribly stupid because of that. "I know what I want but… instead…"

"So what is it that you want?" Elena sobbed again and to her surprise Damon got closer and hugged her as if he was trying to protect her or take her pain away. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay. I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to hurt Stefan either. But I make a mess of everything I touch."

"It's not true." He took her head gently pulling it closer to his chest and she hugged him back. "Don't cry, Elena, please." He took her face in his hands and wiped her tears away.

Suddenly Damon got rigid and Elena looked up to find Stefan staring at them with a funny look in his face. Elena moved away from Damon who remained where he was, Stefan was silent.

"Stefan, where were you? I was worried." Elena managed to say trying to keep her voice steady.

"Really?" He asked and she could tell from his tone of voice that he was angry and jealous probably. "Is everything okay?"

"I have to tell you something." She said and felt Damon's rigidity and tension next to her. She needed to tell him about what had happened because she couldn't lie to him anymore. She thought that probably the best would be to tell him with Damon there, so that there were no unpleasant surprises afterwards. Stefan stared at her, silent, waiting for her to continue. "Damon and I kissed. I didn't want to tell you before because I knew it would hurt you, but it was nothing Stefan, it was just a friendly kiss, it didn't mean anything. It was only a mistake." She felt those words sharp to say and didn't feel as if they were true but they had to be. Damon stopped breathing for a moment and she could feel his hurt gaze on her.

"Yeah." Damon said making his voice sound unemotional. "It was just a mistake." He turned around and got in his room and closed the door. Elena felt the tears coming back to her eyes, she felt as if it had been a terrible mistake because now she felt even guiltier than before. She knew as if she shouldn't have said those words, but now it was too late to just take them back.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But I love you Stefan." She started sobbing again and her knees weakened and she fell down but Stefan grabbed her before she touched the floor and hugged her.

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Review please!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

_Imagine that Jeremy had that talk with Damon__ the night of FOUNDERS DAY but didn't get to drink the blood and kill himself that night. He's just done it._

Stefan had been acting much more cautiously since Elena had told him about the kiss with Damon, she knew that something between them wasn't right, that he felt jealous even though he tried to hide it. Now he was the one who didn't want her to go to the boarding house even though he didn't say it aloud. She hadn't seen Damon in almost a week and Stefan was making sure the encounter took as long as possible to happen.

Elena had been dreaming of that kiss, however, she had tried so badly to convince herself that it hadn't meant anything, but the truth was that it had. She couldn't get Damon off her mind. But she was trying to fix things between her and Stefan, but she knew that when he kissed her now it wasn't like before. Some nights she woke up thinking someone was there, Damon was there, but he never was, as badly as she wanted him to be. She couldn't understand her feelings anymore.

Elena got from the grill to her house.

"Hi, Jenna!" She shouted but got no reply, probably she was with Alaric. "Jer, I'm home!" Her relationship with her brother hadn't really improved, he had been alone and wouldn't talk to anyone. Elena was worried but didn't know how to solve it, the only thing she had ever wanted was to protect him, to keep the pain away from him, but she probably should have let him choose. She had decided that she was going to talk to him, again, whether he liked it or not, she didn't care, even if he was just going to yell at her, she wanted to clear everything up. But before she went to the bathroom where she found a bottle of those pills she had had to take when her parents had died. It was empty. She thought that maybe Jeremy had gone back to drugs and felt terribly angry. She opened her brother's door even though she knew he wouldn't like it. Jeremy was lying on in bed, apparently asleep and she was going to close the door when she suddenly had this feeling that something wasn't right.

"Jeremy?" She asked and got closer to the bed, feeling her heart stop beating when she heard no breathing. She shook him feeling the tears coming to her eyes. "Jer, please! Jeremy!" She shouted and ran to the phone but she was trembling and couldn't dial any number. She screamed sobbing when she heard someone behind her and turned around to face Damon who looked surprised. "Please help him." She pleaded, forgetting for a minute everything that had happened between them, the way she knew she had hurt him, or even forgetting to ask why he was there, right now she could only think of Jeremy. Damon got closer to Jeremy and took him in his arms.

"Take the keys of your car." He told Elena and she obeyed without a second of hesitation. He drove much faster than it was allowed but Elena didn't complain, she was trying to reanimate her brother.

"Does he have any contusion? Look at his head. Wounds?" Damon asked.

"Nothing. But there was an empty bottle of pills in the bathroom. I just thought… I don't know what I thought. But he can't possibly have…"

Damon stopped the car in front of the hospital's door where parking was surely not allowed. He and Elena quickly got out of the car and he took Jeremy and got into the hospital where a nurse went to them when she saw them coming in.

"I think it's an overdose." Damon said and they took Jeremy. He and Elena had to wait and they sat down, she looked so worried.

"Jeremy wouldn't just kill himself." She was saying.

He frowned thinking about it, it didn't make any sense. He knew Jeremy was hurt because of Anna's death but… he suddenly remembered that conversation they had had where Jeremy had asked him about being a vampire.

"Life sucks either way." Damon had replied but he suddenly swore when he remembered what he had said next. "At least if you're a vampire you can switch it off." So was this what Jeremy had tried?

"Was there something else in the bathroom, Elena?" He asked her and she looked at him confused.

"I… I don't know, I don't remember…" She shook her head.

"Think, was there something more? A tube, maybe?" Elena frowned trying to remember.

"I… I think so. Why? What is it?"

"I think your brother just tried to turn into a vampire, Elena. But failed."

"How can you know that?"

"Because he didn't die."

Suddenly a doctor came out of and asked for Elena Gilbert. She stood up and he came to her.

"Miss Gilbert, your brother is in a critical situation but he'll survive."

"Thanks god." Elena sighed and Damon walked next to her.

"We're going to retain him the night." Elena nodded and then the doctor left. She looked at Damon.

"How could that idea get into his mind?"

"Maybe I had something to do with that." She looked up at him frowning, confused. "He was hurt because of Anna and asked me about being a vampire. I said you could switch the pain off. I never really thought he was thinking of becoming one."

"It's not your fault. But I can't believe I didn't see this coming."

"Elena, don't blame yourself. It was his decision, no one could have possibly done anything about it. But he's alright now." She nodded and sat down burying her face in her hands and then suddenly she looked up again at him.

"Why were you at my house?" She saw how he got rigid, as if they had been aside from reality and they had just come back.

"I was near it when I heard you screaming." He was obviously feeling disturbed right now, Elena remembered the last time she had seen him and how it had ended and he was probably thinking about that too. That made her appreciate even more the fact that he had just helped Jeremy and her. He gave her his phone and she looked at him startled. "Take. Call my brother. I don't want to leave you here alone after what has happened." Elena took the phone and called Stefan. When she hung up, she gave it back to Damon who had sit next to her. They remained silent for awhile.

"Thank you." She said and he didn't even look at her.

"Don't thank me."

Stefan was there almost immediately and his face got tense when he saw Damon. Him and Elena got up and she went to hug him, he hugged her back.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here?" Stefan asked Damon who narrowed his eyes and tilted his face to one side. Elena put a hand on Stefan's chest like asking him to stop it. He put a hand around her shoulders like trying to show that she was with him.

"He helped Jeremy." She explained.

"And what were you doing at her house?" Elena understood why he was asking that but didn't like the tone of the question.

"I was just around it when I heard her screaming and went to see if something was wrong." Damon replied.

"She's not of your business anymore." Elena looked at both of them, unable to believe it.

"Stefan, stop it, if it wasn't for Damon, Jeremy would be dead right now." He relaxed a little bit, breathing hard.

"You know what? I'm out of here." Damon said and got away without a glance back, as if he didn't care, but Elena knew that he did care, he had gone to her house to see if something was wrong, so that meant he cared about her, even after everything she had said, it didn't matter what he pretended to make it look like. Stefan hugged her and Elena felt something hurt inside, she didn't know what.

"Let's call Jenna." She said.

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**A/N:** _I wanted to do this scene because I realized I had left Jeremy completely aside. He's lost much of my appreciation with his stupidity in this last chapter, but at least I owed him a little bit of consideration, I didn't want to leave him forgotten. Please let me know what you thought about it!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Stefan got home and to his surprise Damon wasn't in the living room. He got upstairs and got in his brother's room without knocking. He found Damon lying on the floor, who looked up with a bottle of scotch on one hand.

"You know doors are there to knock, don't you?" He said, Stefan was serious, though.

"I don't want you around her, Damon." Damon frowned staring at his brother, narrowing his eyes. "I think I made it clear before, I don't believe there's any need to repeat it."

"I told you I went to her house because I heard her screaming, what if a vampire had attacked her? Do you think I shouldn't have gone?"

"You could have called me."

"Oh yeah, and maybe by the time you arrived she had her throat ripped off." Stefan opened his mouth to speak but realized that probably he was right.

"What were you doing near her house, anyway?"

"Can't I go there, anymore?" Damon drank directly from his bottle and then left it on the floor, then he got up with effort. "Listen, Stefan, you're acting too jealously and possessively."

"Because you kissed her, Damon! She is not Katherine."

"Thanks God she's not." He grinned but there was no happiness in his face. "I know she's not Katherine, I perfectly know that." His voice sounded softer when he spoke those words. He frowned suddenly. "Listen, you have the girl. What else do you want? My pride?" He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hand. "She loves you, so what else can you want?"

"Why didn't you tell me about the kiss? I can understand why she didn't but you… You could have bragged about it. It surely wasn't because you were afraid I got mad…"

"Look." Damon replied holding his bottle again. "I don't feel like talking right now. I just want to get drunk. So I'm going to ask you to leave my bedroom."

"Damon…" Stefan tried to continue, he was really angry at his brother and pissed off and jealous. But right now he was trying to understand Damon's motives, which it didn't no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. Why was he so depressed?

"Just go, Stefan, go and enjoy your perfectly happy life. And don't worry, I'll be far too drunk to cause any trouble." He almost pushed Stefan off and shut the door close again.

* * *

Elena arrived at school on Monday feeling terribly tired. She had hardly slept the last days, she had been busy at the hospital with Jeremy and when she finally had the chance to have a rest she thought of Damon, of the kiss they had shared and of how badly she had treated him afterwards. This made her feel guilty on the two sides, as if she was betraying both of the Salvatore and she asked herself in which moment she had stopped knowing what her feelings were.

She saw Caroline with Matt and precipitated to them, she hadn't seen her friends since a long time.

"Caroline, how are you?" She asked.

"I'm alright." She smiled. "I just have to go to the hospital today to be checked but normally everything is okay. How is Jeremy, I heard he was in the hospital, what happened?" Elena's face darkened remembering the empty bottle of pills.

"An accident." She lied, she wasn't really going spreading the news that his brother had just tried to kill himself… no, wait – had just tried to become a vampire. "But he's much better."

"I'm glad to hear that." Caroline said.

"You look tired." Matt commented and Elena smiled weakly. A hand grabbed her shoulders gently and she turned around to find Stefan behind her with a smile on his face. Matt and Caroline waved goodbye and left them alone.

"How are you?" Stefan asked.

"I'm okay." She lied and it was very obvious, but he probably didn't want to notice that, it wasn't possible that he truly hadn't noticed it. Maybe he just wanted to convince himself that everything was okay, that everything was just the way it should be.

"Last days of school." Stefan smiled. He grabbed Elena's hand and directed their steps to the history class where Elena literally fell asleep. She woke up when someone shook her and she looked up to find a smiling Bonnie.

"Hi."

"Hey." Elena replied getting up, everyone had already gone out of the class including Stefan, she supposed he had left her alone with Bonnie so that they could talk.

"How's Jeremy?"

"He'll be home soon." There was tension between them, she could feel it, it was true that Bonnie had finally helped Damon but from something that she had created in the first place. Elena felt deceived that her best friend had lied to her, but at the same time, could she blame Bonnie for doing what she thought was right?

"And how are you?" She was her best friend, she had probably noticed that something wasn't right.

"It's nothing, it's just that so many things have been happening lately that I've just hadn't had enough time to assimilate it." There was a brief moment of silence.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Elena. I just…"

"It's okay, Bonnie. I just hope you don't lie to me again. But you were doing what you thought was right, and you saved Damon." When she spoke his name she noticed Bonnie's rigidity and she herself felt tension.

"I did that for you, Elena. Not for him, I would have let him burn to ashes in that fire, but I knew you wouldn't, that's why I helped him." Elena smiled feeling truly grateful. "But there's something that troubles me, Elena. Why do you care so much about him?"

Elena opened her mouth to reply but immediately closed it again. She didn't know what the answer to that question was, she probably had to figure it out herself.

* * *

After a week Jeremy was back at home right and Elena had had the chance to talk to him and they were not alright as they were before he had read her journal, but at least their relationship had improved a lot.

"Why did you do it?" She asked.

"I didn't want to feel anymore, life sucks so much Elena. First mom and dad, then Vicky, now Anna."

"And why would you want to live an eternity without them?"

"I suppose it wasn't wise, Damon told me you could switch feelings off. But maybe it would have been wiser to just kill myself."

"Don't even think about it, Jer. I'm here, okay? I don't know if that means much to you right now and I know that you hate me, but I love you. And I am your sister, and I'll do anything it takes to make you happy. That's why I got Damon to compel you in the first place, I didn't want you to suffer." He didn't answer and she hugged him and to her surprise he hugged her back.

* * *

Elena dialed Stefan's number and when she was about to hang up because there was no reply, someone answered.

"Yes?" It wasn't Stefan's voice, though. Elena frowned.

"Damon?"

"Oh, damn it." He said and sounded pretty wasted. He had probably not looked at the phone's screen before answering and was now regretting having done it.

"Damon, are you okay?" His voice had worried her.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" There was sarcasm in his voice and it made her feel like a needle in her chest, she was the one who had caused his pain, she thought.

"Because you don't sound okay." She heard a tired sigh.

"Perfect saint Stefan is not home and has abandoned his phone, so please leave a message before the…"

"Damon, please." She said and he sighed.

"What?" He snapped, there was a brief moment of silence, she didn't know what to say to make him feel better, to make him hate her a little less. But maybe trying to make him hate her less was a selfish thing to do, maybe it was better this way. Her silence created tension and she felt the change in his mood. "Is something wrong?" He asked worried and his voice sounded serious now. She wanted to tell him that something _was_ wrong, something between them, something with her, with her feelings. But what for? Where would that lead to?

"No, everything's fine. Just tell Stefan I called."

There was no answer, he simply hung up.

* * *

_I didn't want to leave all the other characters simply forgotten. I know there was little Damon in this chapter but there will be more in the next, promised. What did you think?_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Elena hadn't seen Damon since the incident with Jeremy happened, even though she was thankful and sometimes had so badly wanted to see him. That last call had left her worried, she knew something wasn't okay with him and she perfectly knew something wasn't okay with her, either.

When Stefan hugged her or kissed her it didn't feel right, she knew she still loved him, but something wasn't right between them. He was acting as if nothing had happened but sometimes he just acted jealously and possessively and she understood why but she didn't like it and knew that the situation wasn't what she wanted it to be. There was a gap being created between them. Elena had been feeling terribly alone and Stefan's company didn't change this fact to her surprise.

Stefan and she were in her bedroom. He was kissing her and made her fall over the bed, with him on top of her, but Elena pushed him away. Stefan sighed sitting next to her.

"Damon's been a mess the last week." Stefan said and Elena felt surprised, it had been a long time since the last time he had mentioned his brother's name. "He loves you, Elena. And I've always thought you loved me."

"I do."

"But I want you to know that you have a choice." He continued, ignoring her. "I know that the kiss did mean something to you and I think I don't need to say that it did to him. And I could see you were feeling guilty and that was why you said what you said. But you have a choice and you don't have to choose me because we were together before. If you choose me, I want it to be because I am the one that you want." Elena sighed.

"Stefan, listen. I've been confused lately, I… I don't know why or how it has happened but I'm confused. And I know that I love you and that you are the one…" Her voice trailed off, she wasn't sure that he was the one, at least not the only one, she loved Stefan but her feelings for Damon were now too strong to be denied any longer.

"Are you sure?" Elena shut up a moment remembering Damon and how badly she missed him. "I have to go hunting." He kissed her forehead and left. She realized that he had left to leave her some space to think, to react, to decide what she wanted.

Elena remained in her bedroom for awhile not knowing what to do. She remembered Damon's gentle lips kissing hers, his soft hands on her face, the intensity of the kiss even though it had been short and interrupted and she got up of her bed. She had said those things that had surely hurt him afterwards and at least she owed him an apology. And she felt as if she needed to see him, to be around him…

Elena drove her car over to the boarding house. When she arrived she sighed before going out of her car and then cleared her throat once she knocked at the door. There was no answer so she just got in. There were many used empty glasses on the table and some shattered ones on the floor. She frowned and walked upstairs and knocked at Damon's door. He opened and pressed his lips together when he saw her. He had his hair untidy.

"Stefan's not…" He began but she interrupted him.

"I know."

"So why did you come?"

"I wanted to… thank you for Jeremy."

"I told you, you didn't need to thank me."

"But still… Can I come in?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow.

"You don't need an invitation." Elena remained silent and he got in as an invitation for her to follow. He stopped in the center of the room and she closed the door behind her and stepped in front of him. "Did you come to tell me again that it was wrong and that you love Stefan? Because you've already said it twice."

"I've come because I care about you, Damon." A guttural sound came out of his throat, similar to laughter but much more sinister. "I'm serious."

"So it was just a mistake?" He asked.

"What did you want me to tell him? That I had liked it?"

"Did you?" To her surprise there was no mockery or irony in his voice, he was serious.

"You hate me." Elena said and it wasn't a question. Damon frowned staring into her eyes.

"How can you possibly think that?" He shook his head looking as if he couldn't believe her words. "I don't hate you, Elena, I can't hate you."

"Why not?"

There was a brief moment of silence in which she read all his pain in his eyes and she immediately felt the urge of hugging him and comforting him but she suppressed it by the moment, thinking that maybe it would make him feel uncomfortable. Right now he even looked vulnerable, she felt this feeling inside of her grow bigger as she stared into those hurting beautiful blue eyes. She felt that there was a deep connection between them but that somehow it was hanging from a string. He didn't answer her question but she could read the answer in his eyes and she felt as if her heart melted.

"I don't hate you." He repeated and it was as if he wanted her to understand what he was not saying. "But that doesn't matter anymore."

"Why?"

"Because you chose him."

"I didn't choose…" Damon shook his head and she remained silent for a moment. When he looked back at her his mask had disappeared, he was hurt.

"Don't do this, Elena."

"Do what?"

"You know what. Don't do it. Don't pretend you care about me. I don't want that."

"I'm not pretending, Damon. I care about you, I love you." She realized the extent to which those words were true as she spoke them. He shook his head like if he was trying to deny that information, trying to keep it away. "Damon, please." He looked away. "Look at me, please." She took his face in her hands and made him turn it to look at her, there were tears in his eyes and she felt her heart stop for a second. She didn't want to hurt him. There were tears in his eyes, which meant that somehow his barriers had been destroyed and right now she felt as if she was close to his soul and that made her cry and the only thing she could think about was that she loved him. He closed his eyes for a second.

"Stop it, Elena."

"I don't know how all this happened." She continued and it was true. She couldn't figure out in which moment her feelings had changed, when she had started to feel that way towards him. She knew that he was protecting himself by being isolated and she was trying to get through the barriers, she was trying to get to him and that it was difficult for him to let her in.

"I'm begging you, please stop." His voice was as if he was pleading.

"I love you." She repeated getting closer to him. He opened his eyes to stare deeply into hers. "I love you, Damon." He closed the distance between them and kissed her passionately. She felt that electric impulse she had felt the first time. She opened her mouth to grant him the access and she caressed his tongue with hers. She felt the salted taste because of her tears and probably his. She felt his hands get underneath her shirt and caress her spine. He kissed her jaw and went down kissing her neck and collarbone; Elena moaned, then took his face and kissed him again, demanding, getting her hands though his hair and pulling him even closer and wanting more. She got her hands underneath his shirt and took it off while caressing his chest. Damon stopped kissing her for a second, now both of their breaths were very noisy. He pressed his forehead against hers.

"Are you sure?" He asked and he kissed him again as an answer, and they both let themselves go into the passion of the moment.

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_I'd like you to tell me what you thought of this chapter and also what you think/want is going to happen when Stefan comes back, Elenas reaction?_


	6. Chapter 6

_I know it's been long since the last time I updated and I apologize for that. Thanks for all the reviews and for telling me what you thought (or wanted) that was going to happen next. I hope the waiting was worth it and that the chapter does not disappoint you._

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Chapter six

Elena woke up with Damon's arm around her waist, the light of the day lightening their faces. She could feel his slow breath in her neck from behind and she smiled to it remembering last night. She turned around to be facing him and caressed his face. Still asleep he readjusted his arm pulling her closer. Elena laughed and kissed softly his lips.

"Hmm…" Damon groaned opening his eyes.

"Good morning." Elena smiled, Damon caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand.

There was a sound from the outside and Elena opened her eyes in shock and he sighed.

"He's just arrived." He stated as he watched her cautiously. "You're not going to run into his arms and tell him that this happened and that it was a mistake, are you?"

"This was not a mistake, Damon." She said seriously, but she knew that probably it hadn't been right, either. She was with Stefan and she should probably have chosen before she had had the two of them. She knew what came now, she knew she had to make a choice and she wondered if her decision was somehow going to turn the brothers apart. She supposed it would, she had already caused the harm and the only way to stop this from continuing was to make a choice as soon as possible. "But I don't want to be Katherine." She said that out loud.

"You are nothing like her."

"I am. I must be, I have been with both of you before having made a choice." But then her mind told her that maybe she had already made a choice. Someone was going to be hurt, it was inevitable… "I need to have a shower. And then I'll go downstairs…" …and I'll tell you my choice, she thought but didn't say it aloud. She knew what it was but she needed a hot or a cold shower she didn't care to relax. She briefly kissed his lips before getting up and directing her steps to the bathroom.

"Elena." He called her and she tuned to face him. He was inches away from her, his naked body was just so beautiful. He leaned and kissed her lips and then drove his t her ear. "Don't take too long." It was almost as if he was begging her to be quick, as if he knew what she meant, as if he knew that she was going to choose and just couldn't wait too long to know it.

She nodded and got into the bathroom and closed the door as her mind started racing. She got under the cold water of the shower and closed her eyes. She had been with Stefan for so long and they had been through so much together, and she had got to know him, but Stefan seemed to be always sad, and repressing his true self. A shiver went down her spin remembering how it had been when he had taken human blood. And it wasn't that she was afraid of him, she knew that he would never hurt her, but it had made her question many things. Stefan was good, kind, protective –sometimes too protective-, absolutely loveable, but she was conscious that things with him were getting a little bit weird between them and that it wasn't as before anymore. She loved Stefan but she had got to love Damon so much… Damon had always been the bad guy and she hadn't really wanted to have much to do with him at the beginning, but then their friendship had started and there had been something between them since the beginning… And the dance, he had been a gentleman, she had begun to see a new Damon, or maybe one that had always been there, but too hidden inside of him and too afraid to let it show. And when Isobel had spoken those words, even though Elena knew it since before, she hadn't really realized it, until she had heard it said out loud… And last night when he had finally let her through all her barriers, he had finally let her in. He had never told her how much she did care about her, but his actions made any word obsolete, was there really any need of him saying anything? And she couldn't just let him down now, when it had just begun. But it wasn't as if she felt that she couldn't because it would be bad, but that she couldn't because it wouldn't be what she wanted. She didn't want to let him down, she loved him with all her being.

Elena turned the water off and sighed as she wrapped a towel around her body. She got in Damon's room, who wasn't there anymore and got dressed. She knew that he was probably waiting for her downstairs like she had told him she would go there.

When Elena arrived to the living room she found both Stefan and Damon staring at her, amazingly serious and she felt guilt inside.

"Elena we need to talk." Stefan said and she thought that he probably knew what had happened with Damon and yes, they did have to talk, the three of them.

"I know. Listen, I…"

"Katherine's back." Damon sentenced and Elena felt as if he had just hit her. She blinked a couple of times, her mouth open in shock while she looked at him. That wasn't at all what she was expecting to hear.

"Wait, what…?"

"I went hunting and I found her in the woods. Well, it would be more realistic to say that she found me." Stefan explained and deep down in his eyes she saw that he was a hurt and probably jealous of Damon but right now there were more important things to be focused on.

"And what does she want?" Elena asked.

"She wants to see you." Damon answered, they had had time to talk about it while she was on the shower. Elena felt fear and relief and impatience all at the same time. She wouldn't be making her choice right now even though she had already decided it, it was probably not the right moment to communicate it.

"But we cannot allow that." Stefan continued. "We are not sure of what she wants. For all we know she is dangerous…"

"And fucking crazy." Damon added with a smirk.

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_Alright, so it's been pretty much of Elena's feelings, but I found that it was necessary to do that, to explain how she felt. I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey! I know it's been long but right now I'm in a complete state of aporia, which means that my mind is completely blank, not only for this but in general. Anyway, I'll try to update sooner next time and so that the time between an update and another isn't long. And don't worry, I'll be finishing this story._

_I hope the waiting was worth it. And thank you for the reviews!

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Chapter seven

"And what are we going to do?" Elena asked trying to get her breath to normality again.

"You are going to go home and make sure no one invites her in." Stefan told her and it was like an order.

"And what if she has already been invited in?" Damon made the point.

"We'll ask when was the last time they saw her to everyone living in the house." Stefan replied but Elena was frowning right now.

"No, I'm not." Both of the brothers looked at her, not understanding what she was saying. "I'm not going home, I'm helping you."

"Let's think for a moment, Elena." Stefan begged. "There is no way you can help us."

"Why didn't she tell you what she wanted?"

"She did. She wants to see you."

"And then?"

"I don't know, she didn't tell me that." Damon looked at both of them while they were discussing that, he didn't know where this conversation was leading to and both his brother and Elena were getting nervous. "Listen." Stefan continued. "We'll find out what she wants and then when everything is safe, you can help us."

"So until that happens, I stay locked in my bedroom and I tell Jenna not to invite me in. She'll surely find it very normal." Elena snapped.

"And what do you want to do, Elena!" Stefan yelled and there was a brief moment of silence.

"Don't you talk to her like that." Damon interrupted with a smirk but Stefan pointed at him, rage in his eyes.

"You shut up!" Stefan yelled and Damon narrowed his eyes getting closer to his brother with a dangerous look in his eyes. There was clearly tension between them and not only because of the news of Katherine coming back.

"Please, there's no time to fight!" Elena urged. "I'll go home, you get to know what she wants… and then what?"

"I don't know." Stefan replied frowning and taking a hand to his head.

"We need a plan, Stefan…"

"I said I don't know!" Stefan was obviously tense and Damon decided that it was time to interrupt. Elena gulped staring at him, there was an uncomfortable silence now and she felt physically the tension that had been built between the three of them.

"I'll take her home and then you and I will go after that bitch." He said trying to take a way some of the tension. Stefan stared at him for a moment and finally nodded. It was evident that he didn't feel very comfortable having his brother Elena alone but if it was to get her safe, then he wasn't going to argue.

Elena grabbed her purse and followed Damon outside the house without a word.

"I'm driving." She stated but Damon was quicker and took the keys from her hand. "I don't need you to take me home, I can go alone. You want to come with me? Alright, but I am driving!" She insisted.

"Come on, Elena, don't be like that. You know all this is just to keep you safe, that's also what Stefan wants." He frowned. "I don't know why I am speaking in his favour, I shouldn't be doing that. But let me drive, if I'm not mistaken I've never driven your car before." He tried to put sad eyes and Elena laughed which made him smirk.

"Alright." She accepted and got in the passengers seat. Damon started the engine.

"Don't worry, that bitch isn't going to hurt you." It was somehow a promise that he was doing to her and he was ready to stick it to the end, Katherine wasn't going to hurt Elena while he was still alive, he decided. "You have my word on that." And they both knew that he could have done many bad things in his life, he could even do them now but he would never break a promise, he would always keep his word.

"I know. Thank you." Elena felt the rage that had suddenly invaded him and caressed his arm smiling at him. She suddenly frowned, she had been thinking about it since Stefan had mentioned Katherine. "Maybe she doesn't want to hurt me, Damon. Maybe she's just curious, I'm her family, why would she want to harm me?"

"Because she's mad, no one can know what she wants, she can change her mind from one second to another. So we'll find out what she wants and then we'll see what we do."

They were already in front of Elena's house, so Damon parked and then sighed and stared at her for some seconds.

"I…" He started and laughed. "I can't believe she came just know." Those words made Elena smile.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either…" She leaned to kiss him and at first he was surprised by this action but almost immediately kissed her back. "I love you, Damon." She whispered against his lips. Then she backed and opened the door to exit the car when he gently grabbed her arm and she turned to face him, he was staring deep into her eyes. She could feel his tension in his voice when he finally spoke.

"I love you."

Elena smiled and kissed him again. It wasn't that she didn't know it, but he had finally admitted it, he had finally said it aloud and she felt tremendously happy. He caressed her cheek and then pulled away.

"I'll check that they haven't invited anyone in. They were vervain, right?"

"Yes." Elena smiled.

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A few hours later

Elena was in her room, she still couldn't believe what had happened with Damon, she was so happy that not even Katherine could make her feel bad right now. Her door opened suddenly and Jeremy got in with the phone on one hand.

"It's Caroline." He informed and gave her the phone.

"Caroline?" Elena asked.

"Hey." Her voice sounded as if she was crying.

"Are you alright?"

"Listen, something's wrong with Bonnie. I came to see her and she just collapsed, I don't know why. And I can't take her to the hospital because I can't drive and there's no one in here and Matt doesn't answer his phone." She sobbed and Elena frowned.

"Don't worry, I'll be right there." She said grabbing her jacket.

"Thank you."

Elena tried to call Damon and then Stefan but neither of them would answer their phones, so she just went out of the house. She knew that they wouldn't be happy if they found out about it, but she had to help Bonnie and calm Caroline.

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Damon and Stefan had been tracking Katherine for an hour now but they couldn't find her so they decided to go back home to check if Elena was alright and then continue with their search.

"I have a missed call." Stefan informed frowning.

"Yeah, I have a missed call too." Damon was quicker, he dialed Elena's number.

"Hey!" Elena's voice said.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, Stefan getting closer to him to hear better what she told him.

"Yes. Listen, Bonnie collapsed so I'm going to her house. Caroline called, she was all nervous."

"Wait, what?" Damon almost shouted. "You got out of the house?"

"I'll be right back, I just have to take Bonnie to the hospital. Caroline doesn't have her car license."

"Elena, go back to your house NOW, we'll take care of Bonnie." Damon was nervous and he could feel Stefan's nervousness too.

"I'm almost there. Wait…" There was a brief silence and then as if the car was braking. "There's someone lying on the road."

"DON'T GET OUT OF THE CAR!" Now he was shouting, he could perfectly remember that night when Katherine had told him how to attack people in the woods. "Elena, listen to me. Lock the doors and drive back home immediately." He ran to the door, his brother right behind him, they were going to go right where she was in case something happened.

"Okay." He could sense the fear in her voice now. He heard the car engine again "It has got up and it's approaching." And then a big noise, as if the car had crashed against something, he could hear a small scream of Elena's. Right now they were vampire speeding to the place they supposed she was, if she had been driving to Bonnie's, the road was simple.

"Elena!" But it was as if she had hung up, there was no answer.

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_Alright, so what did you think? Tell me what you think could happen next!_

_Thank you! _


	8. Chapter 8

_A shorter update. I know in that right now everyone stressed (tell me). Exams, last minute works, but I'm finishing this story! Enjoy and review please!_

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Chapter eight

A few seconds later Stefan and Damon were in front of Elena's car, in the middle of the road, it had crashed against a tree and had all the front part smashed. And it was empty.

"Damn!" Damon yelled kicking the road and taking his hands to his head.

"Maybe it wasn't Katherine." Stefan started but Damon narrowed his eyes and got closer to him.

"What are you saying? And who else could it be? Who else uses that trick? She taught me that!"

"One of us tries to track her, alright? And the other one goes get Bonnie to the hospital."

"What the hell? Who cares about the witch right now?" Damon was frustrated trying to think about every possible option, about where she could have taken Elena.

"She helped me save your life, Damon, or have you already forgotten that?" Damon remembered telling Bonnie that he owed her and then an idea crossed his mind. Maybe the witch could do a spell to find out where Elena was.

"Have your phone with you, I'll go get Bonnie and then I'll catch up with you."

There was no time for replies. Damon was at Bonnie's house in seconds. He knew that it would be hard for his brother to track Elena's scent or to try to find Katherine and that it wouldn't be good that he did on his own. He knocked at the door swearing because of the loss of time when he remembered that he had never been invited in. Caroline opened with a bewildered look. She looked confused when she saw him.

"Damon?"

"Can I come in? Elena sent me to take care of Bonnie."

"Yeah. You see, Bonnie has just woken up and she's speaking nonsense about Elena." He wanted to ask what Bonnie was saying, maybe it was a clue… but "Yeah" wasn't an invitation and he was starting to lose patience, Elena could be dead by now. "What are you waiting for?"

"Bring her outside!" He ordered when he remembered it was Bonnie's house and therefore she should be the one to invite him in. Caroline nodded at the sudden imperative tone he had taken but there was no need, Bonnie was already by her side staring at him with dreadful eyes full of hatred.

"You bastard!" She muttered.

"I'm glad to see you, too." He replied sarcastically. "Caroline, can you leave us alone?"

"But…" She could sense the tension in the ambience and wasn't sure of what to do. She looked at Bonnie who nodded and Caroline left.

"It's good to see I don't have to lose time taking you to the hospital. Now, where is Elena?" Damon asked.

"You tell me." Bonnie replied with that hatred tone in her voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't do as if you didn't know!" She yelled with a dangerous look in her eyes. "Did you think I would never notice? I know you turned her, Damon."

He blinked a couple of times, that had taken him by surprise. He frowned opening his mouth to speak but Bonnie continued.

"I've had a vision about it. The vision made me collapse."

"You had a vision of me turning her?" He asked confused.

"Not that part. But I saw her, I saw her eyes and her fangs. And she was speaking to me, trying to give me a message."

"And what did she say?"

"Do you think I would tell you after what you've done? I'd rather kill you!"

"There's no time for explanations, Bonnie!" Damon was trying to find some more patience, he knew that there was no time for this, but that he needed the witch's help and therefore he had to tell her. "Alright. The bitch… I mean Katherine is back. And she has kidnapped Elena, or at least that's what we think. I have not turned Elena. The one you saw in your vision was Katherine. I need you to tell me what she said because maybe it can help us find Elena." He realized then he had raised his voice and Bonnie was now staring at him, confused, she probably didn't expect that. She frowned and took a hand to her head as if she was trying to remember.

"She talked about the woods, about the church. She said something about a spell and that she needed my help…" So she was in the church.

"Thank you." Damon said turning around but Bonnie's voice made him stop.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To get Elena back?" He grinned.

"Well, then I'm going with you."

"But then you'll be doing what Katherine wants you to do. Your vision, it was a call, she needs a spell, like she said."

"I'm going to help you get Elena back whether you like it or not." She took her jacket and sighed looking at the interior of the house. "Caroline, I'll be right back. I'm okay, you can go home if you want to." Caroline appeared in the corridor.

"Is something wrong?" She asked innocently.

"No, it's alright. Thank you for everything."

"I'll go to Matt's then." Bonnie smiled back at her and then closed the door and walked towards Damon.

"Come on." He urged grabbing his phone and dialing immediately. "Stefan, they're in the Church." He said before his brother had time to say anything.

"Hello, Damon." A feminine voice replied and Damon got paler. Katherine.

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_I liked to have Damon and Bonnie in good terms but there's not going to be Damon/Bonnie romance._


	9. Chapter 9

_It has been a long time. Every moment free I went to write, so I suppose you'll realize that I haven't really had many free time last week. And next week is also going to be busy but less. So I hope I'll be able to update next chapter as too late next Friday. I hope I can do it sooner, I'm enjoying so much writing this._

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Chapter nine

Damon and Bonnie arrived at a clearing in the woods, near the old church and there was an atmosphere of tension and fear for what could happen, it wasn't fear for their own lives but for the others involved, especially for one. They heard a sound and Bonnie gasped. Damon swore because if she hadn't come he would have gone faster, but the truth was that maybe he would need the witch's help at some point. She was breathing heavily and at times she whispered "She's here." And she was really getting on his nerves. His mind was racing, thinking of all the possibilities, he still had not a clue of what Katherine could want but the fact that she had kidnapped both Elena and Stefan was obviously not a good sign. He swore remembering that he hadn't fed properly in an entire day so in the case of a fight with Katherine he was sure that he didn't stand a chance. But at least he was sure that he could suppose a distraction, that it wouldn't be that simple for her to kill him, that he could entertain her time enough for the others to get away. And it wasn't only that he was prepared to die to save Elena, but that he was almost completely sure that that was what was going to happen. He felt a twinge in the stomach, not because of the thought of his death. He had spent a hundred and forty five years looking for a woman and now that she finally came back, he didn't want her anymore. He had spent a hundred and forty five years willing to die and now that he had finally found a reason to live, now that he had found something to love, he was going to die…

"Damon!" A voice said in fear and he and Bonnie turned to see Elena not far from them. Her hair was messy and her clothes dirty. She looked afraid and vulnerable. He felt an enormous relief when he saw her but when he was about to go to her Bonnie grabbed his arm. He glanced at her furious because she was trying to stop him. "Damon, she has Stefan." Elena continued and her voice sounded as if she was about to cry.

"Don't get closer." Bonnie warned him in a really low voice and he didn't understand as he narrowed his eyes. "Don't."

"Elena, are you okay?" He asked ignoring the witch and getting closer to Elena. Suddenly her sad expression turned into laughter and she showed her fangs a second before she had Damon between her arms and she injected vervain in his system with a syringe, all in a move. Damon fainted almost immediately. Bonnie could hear her inner voice pleading her to leave, to run, all her senses asked her to do so. If Katherine had so easily gotten Damon, she could kill her before she could even move her feet to start running. But she remained where she was, she knew that leaving would mean abandoning Elena and it wasn't something she was going to do. She watched in stupefaction how Katherine caressed Damon's hair, while he was unconscious. "You brought the witch, good boy." She was saying and Bonnie couldn't help but to find it really creepy.

"What do you want?" Bonnie managed her voice to get out of her throat and was surprised at how calm she sounded. Katherine looked up at her, leaving Damon on the floor. She smiled a sweet smile, it was as if she had multiple personalities, Bonnie thought, but then realized that it was all a game. Katherine was playing with all of them and they had all fallen in her trap.

"Don't be impatient, sweetheart, you're about to find out. Come." Katherine held Damon in her arms to carry him without effort and Bonnie decided that the only thing she could do was to follow her, even though she felt as if she was walking towards her own death, she could feel it. But it wasn't her that Katherine wanted and she knew it. She had to do it for Elena. She had to help her friend. While she followed her she couldn't stop from asking herself how the hell she had got into all that, how Elena had… It was probably Stefan's and Damon's fault, they had brought the entire supernatural world to Mystic Falls. But had they really? Bonnie was probably not the most appropriate to say so when she was a witch… Could she really put all the blame on the Salvatore brothers? They arrived to a clearing where three other people were standing, another lying on the floor and another seating. Bonnie supposed the three standing were vampires even though they had human form. Elena was sitting on the ground, an impotent look in her face, while Stefan was lying down in a state similar to Damon's, they had probably also injected him with vervain. Elena's eyes widened when she saw her friend.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" She asked and tried to get up but had immediately a vampire by her side, with his fangs out. She sat down again and Bonnie understood that even though she wasn't wearing chains, it would be impossible for her to try to escape, even more to try to save Stefan. And she wasn't leaving alone, Bonnie knew well enough her friend to know that she preferred to stay there rather than to abandon someone behind. She saw how Elena's eyes focused on Damon and the tremendously worried expression in her face.

"I'm alright." Bonnie replied and it sounded sarcastic, they were prisoners of four mad vampires, one of them the crazy ex-girlfriend of Damon and Stefan, so saying that she was alright sounded quite optimistic and it almost made her laugh. It would probably have been more of a hysterical laugh.

Katherine left Damon next to Stefan and then smiled what seemed a friendly smile. "Now that we're all here, the reunion can start."

"You wanted me." Elena spoke trying to make her voice sound steady. "So let them go."

"Sweetie, I wanted you but you have very boring friends who don't want you to have fun alone. I had to inject them vervain or they would have tried something stupid. You have to admit that I did them a favour. And my interest in you is partly because of these two." She added pointing at Stefan and Damon.

"Let Bonnie go, at least."

"Oh no, not the witch. I need the witch for my plans. In principle, no one needs to get hurt out of this."

"What do you want?"

"You're all so impatient…" She got closer to Elena, Bonnie had now a vampire by her side who forced her to sit down. "Now, Elena. You look so much like me… It is amazing." She took her face with a hand and Elena didn't move. "Mm… I wonder what your blood tastes like." She smelled her and approached her mouth to Elena's neck where Elena could feel her freezing breath. She closed her eyes expecting to feel the pain and ready to hold it back when those sharp teeth pierced her flesh, but to her surprise the breath got away and when she opened her eyes again, Katherine was staring at her, on her feet again.

"Why don't you tell me what you want and that way we can save time?" Elena said.

There was a yawn and they all looked at Stefan and Damon who were trying to get up. They were conscious right now but the vervain kept them from moving. Katherine smirked and it reminded Elena of Damon's smirks when she had met him.

"Look who has woken up to assist to the party. Good morning boys."

She helped them to sit down but they couldn't move or get up even though both of them were trying.

"If you move too much, my dear Claire is going to have to kill your sweet little human." She smirked again when she saw that both of them remained quite. "You two are really pathetic when it comes down to women, you know that?" She turned around to look at Elena. "I can see you have them both. Good for you, just like I did." There was tension between Damon and Stefan and Katherine grinned feeling it, she was next to them. She was much stronger than they were and the dose of vervain was strong enough so that they wouldn't have time to save Elena in case Claire was about to kill her. However, Katherine knew that she could expect any stupidity from them, so she injected them with some more, enough so that they were still conscious but far too weak to try anything.

"I'm not like you." Elena said and Bonnie noticed in her tone that she was saying it with great emphasis, trying to make that point clear, even through the distance and the darkness, she could realize the tears in Elena's eyes.

"Really? And what exactly makes you different from me apart from the fact that you're not a vampire… yet? You have the both of them and I guess you haven't chosen."

"But I'm going to." Elena knew that she didn't have to give any explanation to Katherine but she really didn't feel like being compared to her and wanted to clear it up even though while she spoke she realized that maybe she was doing a mistake.

Katherine's eyes widened in surprise, but it looked more like fictive surprise. "Alright, so choose." Elena opened her mouth in disbelief.

"I'm not going to choose now with you here."

"Why not? I'm sure you've already made your choice. Let's see, let me help you." She walked around the boys. "Stefan's gentle and sweet, but Damon is better at bed, he's so passionate, but I suppose you do know that." Stefan snarled and it made Elena freeze, she was starting to feel really uncomfortable. What the hell did Katherine want? "He's rougher, that's true and has worse habits. Stefan is protective, but so is Damon. They're both loyal. Mm… it's hard, isn't it? But I want you to choose, and I want you to do it now."

* * *

_Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter and what you think Katherine's plans are. I've started next chapter and I'm excited about it._

_I hope you liked it!_


	10. Chapter 10

It's been a long time. I've had sort of a writer crisis and been very busy. But I come with a long chapter to apologize AND I think you will like it (hopefully). I'll post a brief summary of what happened before so that you all remember but if you do remember, just skip to where it says **Chapter ten**.

* * *

**Brief Summary**

Damon and Elena shared a kiss and Elena told Stefan. She said that it had just been a mistake, which hurt Damon. Elena didn't know what to do, her feelings were being contradictory. But Stefan realizes that she has feelings for his brother and doesn't want her to choose him only because he was there first, but because he is the one she loves. He leaves her space and Elena sleeps with Damon, tells him that she loves her and realizes her true feelings.

The next morning she's going to choose, but before she does, they inform her that Katherine is back. Katherine kidnaps Elena and Stefan and Damon goes to look for help to Bonnie. But they fall in a trap and Katherine has all of them. She has injected vervain in Stefan and Damon and has three other vampires with her. She wants Elena to choose.

* * *

**Chapter ten**

"What do you care? Why do I have to choose when you never did?" Elena snapped.

"I suppose you were going to say that, that's why I brought the witch." She did a sign to the vampire next to Bonnie who threw a spell book to Bonnie's feet. "Read." Katherine said.

Bonnie looked at Elena, fear in her eyes. She wasn't really sure of what Katherine was asking her to do, but from what she had understood, she was somehow going to find out Elena's choice with a spell. And she knew that her friend didn't want that to happen. Bonnie felt sick at the idea that Elena was going to choose, was there really something to choose? Wasn't she with Stefan and that was it? She looked at the brothers who were both staring at Elena. She looked at her friend again, who shook her head.

"Why do you care so much?" Elena insisted.

"I'm just curious." She smirked but there was no happiness in her face. "Now read." There was no reaction, Bonnie remained quiet glaring. Katherine snarled and approached Stefan and Damon. "Read or I'll hurt them."

Bonnie swallowed and looked at Elena who nodded. Bonnie started reading, she didn't understand what those words meant, she didn't even know she was going to be able to read them, but for some reason her mouth kept pronouncing the words as she felt them each time lighter on her tongue as they kept going out and as she found herself in some kind of trance.

Elena had made her mind when Katherine had first told Bonnie to read. She was now thinking of all the good things of both brothers. Her times with Stefan, the way he cared about her, everything they had gone through when she had discovered what he was. And Damon, the way she had discovered he had feelings, their kiss, what came after that. She couldn't help it but smile which in the situation she found herself was pretty confusing. She tried to get as confused as she could, think of all the good and bad things of both Damon and Stefan. Katherine wasn't playing fair if she was getting into her mind. Well, she wouldn't play fair either then, Katherine could get into her mind, but she wouldn't have an answer.

Elena stared at those surrounding her who seemed to be in a short trance from which they got out almost immediately and then all the glances were for her.

"You're a pretty little liar." Katherine sentenced. "You haven't chosen."

Elena tried to avoid Damon's and Stefan's eyes, she knew they would be hurt right now but it was for the best. What did Katherine want to do with her answer? Well, she didn't want to find out.

"Well, well. You might have a very good impression of these two, but the truth is very sad." Katherine said. "Why do you think they are after you? Because you're smart? Because of your ideas? I'm sorry, sweetheart, but it's by the simple fact that you look like me. It's because you remind them of me."

"Well, if that was the only reason, I'm pretty sure they would have dropped to your feet when you came." Elena replied and felt stupid and brave all at the same time, she was defying Katherine…

"Not necessarily. Their pride prevents them from doing that, they have a bad impression of me right now because they didn't get any news from me in a hundred and forty five years. What they feel for you isn't true love, Elena. It's called delusional love. They think they have feelings for you, but the truth is that they have feelings for the part of you that reminds them of me."

"That's – that's not true." Damon managed to say weakly.

"Oh, yes, it is. Don't you see everything are comparisons? That you're better than me because you choose, because you have only one. While the truth is that you're exactly like me."

"Not true." Stefan whispered.

"Well, then." Katherine sentenced grinning. "You're all so boring. So I'm leaving, but I'll be back soon enough, you won't have time to miss me. Oh, and I'm taking the witch with me. I need her to do something else. But don't worry, I won't hurt her unless she's too annoying." She took Bonnie in her arms who started screaming.

"Let her go!" Elena shouted but even before she could get up, Katherine and her pack of vampires had disappeared with Bonnie. Elena breathed hard looking around her, frustrated, not knowing to which side they had gone. She heard a gasp and turned around to face Stefan and Damon who were trying to get up. She ran to them and knelt beside them.

"Are you okay?" She asked worried, frowning and trying to help them.

"Fine." Damon whispered trying to smile. "It's just… vervain."

Stefan remained silent, frowning while he got up with effort.

"What is she going to do with Bonnie?" Elena asked.

"I don't think she's going to kill her." Stefan replied. He looked at her. Now Elena was standing and supporting Damon. He had been the last to be injected with vervain, so it probably had more effect right now on him than on Stefan. He was leaning on Elena. "Did Katherine hurt you?"

"No, she just brought me here and made me change clothes with her so that you both believed she was me. But that was it." She frowned, narrowing her eyes. "What is it that she wants? Why did she want me to choose?"

"Let's go home." Damon said. He was obviously still weak and none of them knew what the answer to Elena's questions were.

"But Bonnie…"

"We'll try to find her." Stefan promised.

Elena nodded, knowing that they couldn't do much more and that they needed to rest. But right now she had to trust Katherine when she had said that she wasn't going to hurt Bonnie, and trusting Katherine wasn't an easy thing to do.

They got to her house and Elena remained still on the porch, both Damon and Stefan stared at her.

"I don't want to go home."

"Elena, it's the only place where you're going to be safe." Stefan complained.

"Who cares? After what has happened tonight… Anything can happen."

"That only happened because you got out of the house." Damon reminded her.

"But now she has Bonnie. And what is she going to do to me? She just wants me to choose, even though I don't understand why. And that is exactly what I should be doing." She shut up after realizing what she had just said. It was the truth, but she didn't expect herself to just drop it that way right now. Both of the Salvatore brothers looked at her and the tension was almost physical.

The door opened, Jenna was there and the three of them tried to relax a little bit.

"Elena, it's late."

"When was the last time you saw me?" She asked and Jenna frowned.

"What do you mean? When you left to Bonnie's."

"Alright. Give me a second and I'll come in." Jenna nodded and closed the door.

There was a brief silence. "One of us stays with you and the other one goes look for Bonnie." Stefan sentenced. "But first we decide, I want to talk to you, Elena." Elena looked up at him and Damon swallowed looking elsewhere.

* * *

Bonnie was impressed by how big the house they were in was. She had already tried to get out of there once but Katherine had caught her even before she could take the second step. But to her surprise, they hadn't hurt her… yet.

"What do you want from me?" She asked again.

"I can't tell you that yet, sweetheart."

"And what do you want from Elena?"

"Alright, it's fair, I'll tell you that." Katherine grinned. "I want one of the Salvatore. And they want me, it is clear, they have chosen a human who looks exactly like me. Coincidence? I don't think so. I could never choose, and I like Elena and she is my family. So I'll let her choose and I'll have the other one. It's easy like that. No one needs to get hurt."

"And what if they don't want you anymore?"

"They do." Her voice was hard, she left no room to replies and Bonnie decided that it was the right time to shut up.

* * *

Damon had gone to Elena's bedroom by the window, waiting for them to talk. Elena thanked that he didn't try to be there. She and Stefan were on the porch and he was looking at his feet.

"We brought all of this into your life. I did." He said.

"Stop feeling guilty because of that, Stefan. I told you a long time ago. When I accepted to be with you knowing what you were I accepted all the things that came along with it."

"But you didn't know what you would see yourself involved in. And I should have known."

"Katherine is my family. She would probably have come either way. And it's not your fault that Bonnie's a witch."

"Elena, I…" He sighed and then frowned. "I know that you love him." She remained silent for awhile, she was not going to deny that, but she didn't know what she could possibly say.

"Stefan… I - " It was the right time to inform about her choice. "I wanted to tell you both together. But I suppose it's fair. I also love you Stefan… but in a different way. And I don't want to be her. I want to choose. And I've always loved you but – " She couldn't go any further, the words left her while she frowned and looked down, she knew that he had already understood. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He caressed her hair and she could feel that he was hurt, how could he not be? "I'm sorry too." He sighed and Elena felt the tears burning in her eyes and the pain in her cheeks while she tried not to cry. "I'll go to try to find Bonnie." He didn't say anything else, he just left. Elena got in the house as she tried to remain calm. She knew she had made the choice she wanted too, but still she couldn't help but feel bad for Stefan, after everything that had happened… but she loved Damon, that was the only truth. She got upstairs silently as she felt one of her tears going down her cheek. When she got in her bedroom she found Damon standing in front of her, frowning and looking at her. She closed the door and walked towards him as she lost control and started to sob. Damon hugged her tightly and caressed her hair while she cried on his chest.

He didn't know what had happened, and Elena felt like a fool. She moved away a little bit when she realized that his shirt was wet because of her tears. Damon grabbed her face between his hands and stared into her eyes as he wiped her tears away.

"I – I have chosen." She whispered trying to make her voice sound steady. She could see how Damon's body tensed as he gripped his teeth together. "Stefan knows." He didn't let go of her, he continued staring into her eyes but she could feel his impatience build up for the answer.

"And…?"

"I love you." After a second, when he realized that there was no "but" following that sentence, his smile began to merge. It made Elena feel better, it made her forget the pain. Damon kissed her and she found herself pulling him closer, aching for more. She just realized they had moved when she felt her back touch the wall. Damon went down kissing her neck and collarbone. She ran a hand through his hair and then pulled it up to kiss his lips again. She took his shirt off and Damon caressed her back and then took her shirt off, too. When she felt his hands going down her skirt she realized what she was wearing, she hadn't really been paying attention when Katherine had given her the clothes she had been wearing.

* * *

_I hope you've liked it and that the waiting was worth it. But next update will be soon!_

_I have to tell you something, this chapter, when I originally wrote it, it contained some "lemons" at the end. The truth is that it wasn't planned, but it just... sort of happened. But this story is rated K+ and I know that probably many of you don't want that so I removed it. But, if you want to read them, tell me in the reviews and I'll post them, with a warning, of course._

_**Please, please, please, review!** It's been kind of hard to get out of my crisis (lol). I love reviews and reviewers! =D_


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you everyone for the reviews. As promised, here is chapter eleven.

**For all those of you who want to read the lemons**, I'll follow danielitapotter's advice and I'll post it as a one shot, a different story. So make sure you add me to you Author Alert and/or check my profile to read it and review! I'll be posting it later today.

For the rest, **the rating for this story is still K+**

* * *

**Chapter eleven**

Bonnie woke up with a terrible headache. She tried to stand up and felt the world turning upside down. She felt sick and looked around her trying to remember where she was. To her surprise, everything around her was well-known to her, it was her own bedroom. For a second she wondered if everything involving Katherine had really happened or if it had only been a dream.

When she first heard that someone was knocking at her house's door, she didn't even bother to get up. But whoever it was, was being insistent so she got up slowly having again that sensation of being sick. She couldn't remember clearly what had happened. She got out of her bedroom and opened the front door, just to find Stefan who was frowning, with a dead serious expression on his face.

"You're here." He said and she saw relief in his face. But there was something about him that wasn't okay, she could sense it, and she was sure that it didn't take to be a witch to realize that something wasn't the way it should be. His eyes spoke for him.

"What's wrong?" She asked and she could see the shadow that took over him, but he shook his head and tried to smile with little success.

"What did she do to you?" Bonnie then remembered everything that had happened and realized that it had all been real. She did a gesture with her head so that he followed inside, he had already been invited in. She sat up on the couch and he did the same next to her. She wanted to ask about Elena, maybe it would be better to tell everyone at the same time and that way she wouldn't have to tell the same story over and over again. But something inside of her told her that it was better not to mention Elena right now, that maybe it was the reason why Stefan was so off.

"They were too many and I had to do what she asked me to do, Stefan." She excused herself knowing that it hadn't been right, but at the same time that she had had no other choice. "And at the beginning I didn't even realize which secondary effects it could have."

"It's alright, Bonnie. Whatever you did, it wasn't your fault." She felt really thankful that he understood so well what she meant and that he wasn't going to blame her. "But if you tell me, then maybe I can do something about it." Bonnie nodded, frowning.

"She asked me to do a spell with a necklace. At the beginning I thought it would be something like Emily's necklace. She told me it was to protect her, and I also thought about what you told me about Alaric's ring. But it was nothing like that. The thing is that while she's wearing that necklace, vervain does not have effect on her. At the beginning she called it genus Verbena and I wasn't completely sure of what it was, but once I did the spell I realized that it was vervain and which catastrophic effects this can have. She can use compulsion, Stefan. With no matter whom. And she can drink our blood."

She was now trembling, thinking of all the things that Katherine could now do. When she had started she had been expecting Stefan to tell her that it was okay, that it wasn't so terrible as she thought, but he wasn't saying anything, he was just frowning and Bonnie understood that he was as afraid of the results as she had. Now Katherine could do whatever she wanted.

* * *

Damon woke up because of the rays of sun that got into Elena's bedroom through the window. It should probably be late, considering the light. He looked up at Elena, who was still asleep by his side and he smiled. Her chest went up and down as her soft breath went in and out of her mouth. He tightened the arm he had around her and kissed her blade shoulder. She moved slightly when he did that. He was trying to identify the feeling that he was experiencing right now. It was some kind of euphoria. She had chosen him. He stared at her once more, her naked body was just so beautiful. He looked then at the clock that was on the wall. 01.00 PM. He blinked, not believing it. Well, so many things had happened last night that they were obviously tired. His eyes darkened when he remembered the fact that Katherine had kidnapped Elena.

"Damon…" Elena whispered getting him out of his thoughts. She had her eyes closed and he couldn't be sure if she was already awake or still asleep. But then someone knocking at the door made her open her eyes completely. She looked up at Damon, who smiled kissing her lips briefly and disappeared immediately.

Before she could even react and reply, the door of her bedroom was open. Thanks God she was under the sheets. She found herself in front of a timid and smiling Caroline.

"Hi, Elena. I'm sorry if I've waken you up, I just came to see how you were doing and I thought that by now you were probably already awake."

Elena closed her eyes for a second, feeling tired but at the same time completely revitalized. "It's alright." She whispered.

"Yesterday it was very weird with Bonnie." Caroline said sitting on her bed. "She just vanished and then suddenly woke up and started to talk about you. She said that she was going to kill someone and that you needed her help, and that you didn't deserve that… And then suddenly Damon came up and they discussed, she threatened him, he threatened her… I don't remember quite clearly. It was all very confusing. And then they just left together without telling me where they were going or anything. I don't understand what is happening. What's going on, Elena?" There was fear in her voice and also exasperation. Elena felt that her friend was close to the truth but that her mind simply had chosen to reject the supernatural and was trying to find a normal explanation… which she obviously was not finding.

"I don't know what happened with Bonnie, Caroline…"

"Of course you don't, you didn't come. Instead, you just sent the Devil in person. What's wrong with you, Elena? What were you doing that was so important you couldn't come to check on Bonnie?" And right now she was mad, the pitch of her voice had gone some octaves higher.

"I – I couldn't, alright, Caroline? I had a problem here at home. A problem with Jeremy. He – " She frowned, trying to come up with something genius but it wasn't working.

"Well, when I came here, he looked alright. Why are you lying to me, Elena? I know that you're lying and I'm just wondering since when. I'm used to be left out, you and Bonnie have always done the same thing, but I don't like it. And I'm not okay with that. And one thing is to be left out, which I hate with all my being. But what I cannot tolerate, Elena, is that you lie to me. I'm sure you can understand that." She got up. Elena tried to think about something to say to make her stay, but what could she possibly say? Was she really going to tell Caroline about vampires? "I thought you were my friend, Elena." And she was out of the room before Elena could even come up with an idea. Maybe it was better to leave her out of all this, but it was true that she shouldn't lie to her. But what else could she do? Didn't someone say that "ignorance is bliss"?

Elena closed her eyes with a sigh and when she opened them again, she saw Damon sitting where Caroline had been just some seconds before.

"She knows." Elena explained. "Well, she doesn't know, but she's starting to figure out that something is wrong."

"It has taken her long." Damon smirked and Elena kicked him with her leg playfully. With an incredible speed he was lying again next to her and tickling her.

"Damon!" She giggled. "They're going to hear me."

"Don't worry, if they didn't hear you yesterday night, there is no risk now." He laughed stopping and she placed her index against his bare chest trying to menace him with her eyes, but it only made him laugh even more.

"Damon, I… I know that it's probably the worst way of killing the moment, but I want to talk about something that Katherine said yesterday." To her surprise, his expression simply turned more serious but there was no reproach in his eyes.

"What do you want to know?" He asked as an invitation for her to ask anything she wanted.

"Well, I know I shouldn't even think about it or question myself about it… But it is just inevitable." He remained silent, waiting for her to continue. She grabbed his hand and caressed it looking down, not knowing too well how to start. "She said that you only love about me what reminds you of her." Damon sighed and caressed her hair.

"The only thing in which you and Katherine are alike is in the physical appearance. Which is not simply alike but exactly the same. But I love you for what you are, Elena. And you are nothing like her. You are kind, protective, loyal, affectionate… So forget the bitch's words, alright? because they are anything but the truth."

Elena smiled and nodded and kissed him. She still felt the same electric impulses every time they touched and kissed. Damon pulled away and got up, getting to her side to offer her his hand so that she got up, too.

"And now, you should probably get dressed. It's late and I don't want anyone coming in without knocking."

* * *

"And she has other plans, too." Bonnie continued. "For when Elena chooses. But there is nothing to choose, is there?" She asked looking up at Stefan whose face had darkened.

"No, there is not." Bonnie felt relief hearing those words. "She already has." But somehow his tone showed that not everything was okay, that it was not the way Bonnie had expected it to be. She opened her eyes in realization.

"She has chosen Damon!" She almost screamed asking herself if her best friend was crazy. "But he's evil."

"He's not as bad as you think he is, Bonnie, he has changed."

Bonnie shook her head. She had heard Elena tell her the same thing about a hundred times, but hearing it come from Stefan wasn't natural.

"Why are you protecting him?"

"Because she loves him, Bonnie. And he loves her too."

There was a brief moment of silence between them.

"Which are Katherine's plans, then?" Stefan asked.

* * *

_I have to inform you that I'm not very sure of when I'll be able to update again, I'll try to these next days but I'm not sure I'll be able to! I don't know if I'll have internet. So in case I don't, it'll be in some time, so make sure you review and when I come back it'll be with a lot more and with a brief summary of what happened before, don't worry._

_For all those stories which I'm following, I'm really anxious to get to date with them but I'm afraid I won't be able to until July._

**_Review please!_**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm back** with more! I know it has been a while. But I'm back with internet and I have more of the story. **Much more!**

Thanks for all the reviews, favourites, and alerts!

Edited: I'm sorry! I wanted to post a brief summary of what happened before but I forgot. Thanks Poppy Salvatore-Ozera for reminding me.

So, like I did in chapter ten. If you remember, just skip to where it says **chapter twelve**.

* * *

**Brief summary**

Damon and Elena shared a kiss and Elena told Stefan. She said that it had just been a mistake, which hurt Damon. Elena didn't know what to do, her feelings were being contradictory. But Stefan realizes that she has feelings for his brother and doesn't want her to choose him only because he was there first, but because he is the one she loves. He leaves her space and Elena sleeps with Damon, tells him that she loves her and realizes her true feelings.

The next morning she's going to choose, but before she does, they inform her that Katherine is back. Katherine kidnaps Elena and Stefan and Damon goes to look for help to Bonnie. But they fall in a trap and Katherine has all of them. She has injected vervain in Stefan and Damon and has three other vampires with her. She wants Elena to choose.

At the end she lets them go but takes Bonnie with her.

Elena chooses Damon.

Stefan is really depressed but accepts her choice and goes to Bonnie's who's back. Bonnie had to do a spell for Katherine and now Katherine is not affected by vervain anymore. She tells Bonnie her plans: she'll get the brother Elena's not choosing, she's willing to give her that because she's her family.

Caroline goes to Elena and asks her about everything, she knows her friend is lying to her but Elena decides it is best not to tell her.

* * *

**Chapter twelve**

Stefan frowned to what Bonnie had just told him. So that meant that Katherine now wanted him…? Well, that was what she had said but he knew her better than that.

"What are we going to do about her?" Bonnie asked, afraid. Then, she looked at him and swallowed. "Or maybe you do want her…"

"No. I don't." Stefan had obviously thought about it. Now that Elena had chose, the wiser thing would be to get out of there, to step out of her way, to go to Katherine? But he knew Katherine, he knew she loved to play with everyone and that he was merely a toy in her hands. And after everything that had happened, he didn't feel anything for Katherine anymore, he couldn't possibly, could he? "But if I know Katherine well enough, then I'm pretty sure she's interested in me."

Bonnie frowned. "I've already told you what she said. And I didn't understand it very well but I'm quite sure that she's ready to let Elena have her choice and take the other one."

"Maybe you're right," Stefan accepted "but that's only until she changes her mind. Damon is what she cannot have and I'm pretty sure that's exactly what she'll want."

* * *

Elena and Damon got out of Elena's room, but before she closed the door behind her, he disappeared. She blinked a couple of times. She knew Damon had never been the kind of guy who stays the morning after a night of passion, but it had been that way the other time… well, the other time Katherine had pissed them all off. Elena narrowed her eyes remembering that Katherine was still there and that she had Bonnie. She would have to call to Bonnie's when she was downstairs to check if she was back and if she was alright.

She heard the door bell and then Jenna opening the door as she got downstairs.

"Is Elena home?" She heard Damon's voice ask and she smiled. Of course he couldn't just get out of her bedroom with her and let everyone in the house figure out what had happened.

"Yes, come in." Jenna replied. "I think she has spent most of the morning sleeping, but Caroline was just here so I suppose she's awake now."

"Really?" Damon asked and Elena shook her head smiling and taking her last step. He looked up at her and Jenna turned around to face her too.

"Well, here she is." Jenna sentenced and looked at her in a weird way. Then she simply moved away from the door and went to the living room. Elena frowned looking at Damon.

"Do you think she knows?" Elena asked and Damon shook his head, looking at where Jenna had left, he was probably thinking the same.

"I don't know." He admitted, it was possible. Elena wondered what her aunt might think about her. She had been with Stefan and now she went for his brother. How could anyone look at her with good eyes after that? How could she?

Damon grabbed her hand getting her out of her thoughts, probably realizing what she was thinking about.

"Let's go somewhere." He said and Elena smiled, nodding. She took her jacket and got out of the house with him.

They were getting out of the porch when they heard a voice that made them look up.

"Elena." Bonnie was standing right in front of them and Elena hugged her.

"Bonnie, I was so worried about you."

"Yeah, I see that." Bonnie replied disgusted and moving away from her friend. Elena frowned, she knew that recently she hadn't been acting like the best friend possible, but so many things had happened… "I've talked to Stefan." She added and Elena knew what that meant, she knew. Damon was staring at both of them without a word. "I can see you've chosen."

"Not now, Bonnie, please. Are you alright? What did Katherine do?"

"How could you choose him?" Bonnie asked, staring at him right now. Elena knew that would be her reaction and that was the reason why she didn't want to discuss it in front of him. "He's evil."

"I'm glad you're back, too." Damon smirked a brief smirk and Bonnie looked at him, threatening.

"You've lost your sense, Elena."

"Bonnie, I know I haven't behaved like the best friend and I'm sorry, but don't involve him. Listen, I've made my choice and I don't think I owe you any explanation about it. However, I do owe you about everything else, because you've seen yourself involved in all of it." She sighed and turned to Damon who understood immediately.

"I'll leave you two alone." He said. "Elena." He smiled and turned to Bonnie to face her with a threatening look. "Witch."

He left without looking back directing his steps to the Salvatore boarding house. He knew that he had to leave her with the witch even though that was surely not what he wanted to do. It was not like if Bonnie's words had hurt him, fortunately during too many years he had spent his life not caring at all about what people thought or said about him. But those didn't concern only him, but Elena. He surely didn't expect Bonnie to be glad at her friend's choice because they had never got along well…

When he got inside the house, he found Stefan with a glass of scotch on his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"It's my house, too, remember?" Damon replied and when he saw his brother's devastated expression he realized that he shouldn't be hard on him, that he should even probably try to talk to him, as difficult and awkward as it could be. "You had a bad night?"

Stefan's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.

"Not what I meant." Damon raised his hands like if he was asking for peace, showing his innocence when he realized his mistake.

"You couldn't simply take her and leave me alone but you also had to come here to throw it at me?" Stefan asked, hurt.

"Listen, I'm not throwing anything at you, alright?"

"She chose. I can take that. You were her choice, I guess I can take that too. But you trying to prove she did the right choice? I cannot take that."

"I'm not trying to prove anything, Stefan. I know it didn't go out the way you planned but we've always known that one of us would be at one of those positions at some point."

"It just shouldn't be that way." Stefan replied, almost shouting, leaving his glass of scotch on the table.

"And what did you want?" Damon replied in the same tone. "That she did like Katherine? You would have liked that? No, of course not. Of course you simply were sure she would choose you because you're the good one, because you loved her. And you simply expected me to be left out, like always, because I'm the bad brother."

"You have her, so just leave me alone." Damon felt that this conversation was too similar to the one they had had when Elena had confessed Stefan and she and Damon had kissed, just that the roles were switched this time. He knew his brother was thinking about it, too and he felt a hint of sympathy towards him, because he knew how he could feel. But he wasn't going to say that aloud.

"I swear by God, Damon, if you hurt her…" Stefan said, slowly, getting closer to his brother probably to try to sound more threatening.

"I won't." Damon said, with sincerity in his voice. If he hurt her, he himself would never forgive himself. But Stefan didn't catch his sincerity, or simply didn't believe it.

"Of course you will. I don't doubt it. Because you lost your capacity to love long ago and what now you think is love, it's simply…"

"What? What is it?" Damon asked, shouting and frowning.

"You only know how to hate, Damon. And she was my girlfriend, it was an easy revenge against me, was it not?"

"Do you really think…?" Damon laughed but there was nothing funny in that laughter, it almost sounded threatening. "Is it easier for you that way? You, yourself accepted that I loved her."

"But you're afraid to be tied, you're afraid to get too close to anything."

"It's already too late for that." He meant that it had already happened, he was already tied to Elena and he was happy with it, he wasn't going to let her down and he knew it, he just didn't know how to make Stefan understand that. But why should he, anyway?

"You always screw it all up, Damon. And I'm sure it won't be different this time. You hate the world and you hate yourself. Maybe you do love her, and that will be your downfall."

"Who do you think you are? My psychoanalyst? A destiny-reader or something? You know what? I've already heard enough." He turned around but with vampire speed Stefan got in front of him. "Get out of my way." Damon threatened him.

"I've already done that, don't you think?" He asked, getting closer to him and pushing him. That was enough. Damon pushed his brother back, the only difference was that he was much stronger and Stefan was projected against the wall at the other side of the room.

"She doesn't love you anymore. Maybe she considers you a friend, but that is it. I don't care if you can accept it or not, but that's the way it is." Damon shut up realizing what he had just said. When he had arrived to the house, he had been sure he wanted to be alright with his brother, that he wanted to avoid Elena's theme as much as possible, but it was just inevitable. He knew he had done what Stefan had accused him of, he had thrown it at him, but it was Stefan's fault. He was the one who had started to bug him…

"That was tough." A voice behind him said and he turned around to find Bonnie.

"You've learnt a spell to be everywhere?" Damon asked.

"Damon, don't you think he's gone through too much already?" Bonnie asked, pity all over her face. "And he still has many things to deal with." Damon tilted his head to one side, wondering what she meant. "Katherine wants the one Elena's not choosing." She explained, moving towards Stefan and kneeling next to him to help him up again.

Damon blinked, hearing the news. He hadn't expected Katherine to take the leftovers… he realized she probably wasn't going to do that. He knew Katherine would maybe be satisfied… for a while.

"And" Bonnie added "she's not affected by vervain." Damon looked at her, in disbelief. That wasn't possible… "I might have something to do with that." Bonnie confessed and he understood it had been her spell.

Without a word, he moved towards the door. He would go to Elena's… and then he would stop Katherine. Bonnie's last words had been just what he needed to make up his mind. Katherine represented a potential danger for the only thing he loved. He would have to be aware of Katherine's next steps to prevent her from being harmful to Elena.

She needed to be stopped.

* * *

_I hope you liked it!_

_Next chapter will be up soon!_

**_Please review!_**


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